nafeeza Posted November 11, 2022 Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 (edited) I noticed today when I started my kiln for a bisque firing that the vent was making a weird whistling sound. I’ve used my kiln and vent plenty of times before and have not heard this sound. I’ve tried to attach a video but for some reason it’s not letting me upload it. Do vents need to be cleaned? Should I turn the kiln off? Any insight on this would be helpful edit : Here’s a link to the video Edited November 11, 2022 by nafeeza Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nafeeza Posted November 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 Video Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted November 11, 2022 Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 (edited) Definitely screaming! Possibilities: rotor is rubbing, out of balance, loose, crud built up, bad bearing. Sleeve bearing or motor bearing going bad. I would definitely open it, examine closely and see if it can be cleaned and the rotor tightened. Generally not a good sign though. Even though this is a 2000f plus kiln these fans are supposed to be set up to draw a bunch of room air to keep them below 140 f degrees even at kiln peak temperature. Overheating will shorten the life of these significantly. Something to check especially if this is not that old and when you open it the blower wheel appears overheated and rusted. Edited November 11, 2022 by Bill Kielb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nafeeza Posted November 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 I opened it today and this is what it looked like. I took everything apart and vacuumed the little bit of dust in there but it’s still whistling. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted November 11, 2022 Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 Looks fairly clean and intact. Likely motor bearing then. My only thought - Can you tell where the noise is coming from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nafeeza Posted November 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 It seems to be this area that I circled. If it’s motor bearing, is it safe to still use the kiln? I’m just on a deadline and I need this firing done by this weekend Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted November 11, 2022 Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 (edited) That would be a bearing. If it’s not overheating then it can run. It likely won’t run long without getting worse so replacement sooner than later. It seems you have no option so running with a bit of supervision to make sure it’s not overheating or the sound has changed and become worse is probably your best bet. It really does not have to run for the entire firing and if you have an alternative way to ventilate the space that could be your best option at this point. Edited November 11, 2022 by Bill Kielb Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nafeeza Posted November 11, 2022 Author Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 After this firing I will take it out again and see if I can replace it. I’m not too familiar with this kind of stuff, can I get a replacement for it at a hardware store? Or is it something that needs to be ordered? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Kielb Posted November 11, 2022 Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 @neilestrick had a couple models posted at one time - Grainger or Dayton brand that I believe he researched and was a less expensive replacement. He may weigh in here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
neilestrick Posted November 11, 2022 Report Share Posted November 11, 2022 I'd shoot some WD-40 into the bearing and see if that drives out anything that may be causing the squeal. Otherwise you can get a replacement motor much cheaper online than from the kiln manufacturer. Search 'Dayton 1TDP7' and you'll find lots of options. Generally they're around $90, but sometimes you can find them for $65-70. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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